Metering panel-board.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

A. C. MOWILLIAMS.

METERING PANEL BOARD.

APPLIOATIOI FILED KAY 8, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A QM

PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

2 SHIRTS-SHEET 2.

2 I 'XQPX- A. G. MOWILLIAMS. METERING PANEL BOARD.

APPLIOATIOI FILED IAYO 1908 AfiHIUR C. McWILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METERING PANEL-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed m a. 1900. 801181 In. 816.741.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. MCWIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Metering Panel- Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to panel boards, especially of the type used in office buildings and elsewhere for enabling the operating electrician to connect the various consumption circuits with the supply mains or bus bars through the desired meter.

The type of board here shown is similar in many res ects to the one described and shown in t e application filed by me Sept. 30, 1905, Serial No. 280,802 and I do not wish to be understood as herein claiming any of the features or characteristics there shown. In that application as in this, there are two sets of con uctor bars, one set running transversely to the other so that any consumption circuit may be thrown on any meter clrcuit by merely completing electrical connection at the intersections of the two pro er cross conductor bars. In the apparatus 0 the previous application however, no provision was made for inserting fuses except on the border of the anel. But in many buildings the availabl e space for panel boards is very restricted so that in some cases a board of the type shown in the previous application could not be used. a

The object of the resent invention is to provide a board of minimum superficial area ut supplied with a complete set of fuses.

Briefly speaking this object is accomplished by providing cross conductors of' op osite polarity as in the previous application ut in addition providing means whereby the fuse itself ma constitute the plug or stud for electrical y connecting said cross conductors.

As ancillary to the main object it is my urpose to provide parts of sim le and durable construction, easil attache or removed, and adapted to afior perfect contact. I I obtain my objects by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front or face view of the complete apparatus. section of the same ta en'at a point of intersection of two cross-conductors. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the relative positions of the parts at the rear contact cap.

Fi 2 is a front to rear Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken for example on the line 44 Fig. 1 and showing one construction whereby a circuit wire may be connected to a cross-conductor. Fig. 5 is a sectional view analogous to Fig. 4, but taken, for example, on line 55, Fig. 1. Fi 6 is a front face view of a modified form 0 apparatus in which the board or slab itself is made in sections with a rectangular opening at the cross-conductors, this construction avoiding the necessity for drilling a separate hole through the slab at each point of intersection of said conductors. Fi 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but ta en on line 77 Fig. 6, and also showing a modification in the form of the rear contact cap.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu 'hout the several views.

Referring first to the form of a paratus shown in igs. 1 to 5 inclusive: t e board proper 0. consists of marble, slate or other suitable insulating material and has mounted thereonthe permanent parts of the apparatus. The present design is for a three wire system with supply mains or bus bars I), c, d, all of different potential although the outer bars b and (1 might be of the same potential without altering the theory of operation of the apparatus. The meter terminals 2, f, occur 1n pairs, one terminal e of each'pair being connected-to the nearest one of the bus bars b or d. The companion terminal f of each pair is connected to one of a set of crossconductor bars 9 which in the present instance are mounted upon the back of the board and are arranged vertically. For convenience these cross-conductors g are identified by means of plates 9 which in the present instance are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.; and each pair of meter terminals is correspondingll y identified by means of the plates 'e'.

e bus bar 0 is permanently connected with one terminal h of each pair of consumption terminals h, 'i. The preferred construction is best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, where the terminal consists of a binding post h electrically connected to the conducting stri h on the back of the board, which strip is e ectricall connected by means of the stud h to one o the bars 0 leading to the bus bar a. By reference bars 0 are arranged near the bor ers of the board parallel to the bars 9.

Crossing the conductor bars 9 referably at right angles thereto and at a distance in front of them sufiicient at least for insulation, are the cross-conductors 7', there being one of said conductors for each one of the consumption termmals t. In the present desi n conductors j are mounted on the front of the board and are electrically connected with terminals i in an suitable manner, preferably the one best shown in Figs. and 4. In thesefigmres said terminals consist of binding posts on the back of the board electrically connected to the strips i which are electrically connected to the conductors j by means of the studs '11 The preferred means of fusibly plugging throughdirectly from one set of cross-conductors to the other, which direct fusible plugging touches one of the vital features of my invention, will now be referred to. The short fuse 7: having contact caps k at the extremities is a welllmown article in the market and re uires no description exce t to say that it is a apted to afford electrica connection between any two conductors in electrical contact with its end portions or caps k above mentioned.

Althou 'h'I do not consider my invention as limited to any particular form of attachments of the fuse to the cross-conductors 1' and one preferred form is illustrated in detail m Fig. 2, in which a thin pressed metal cap m fits into a suitable aperture 9 in the conductor 9 and is provided with an annular flan e m which is adapted to lie between con uctor g and the board or slab a. The said cap is adapted to fit over the cap 70 of the fuse, and when the parts are forced together by means of the screw cap it or otherwise, electrical connection will be completed from conductor 9 to cap 74'' through the cap m. The screw-cap n above mentioned is, in the preferred form (see Figs. 2 and 7') adapted to fit closely over the remaining cap 7c of the fuse, and 1s exteriorly threaded to screw into the correspondinglythreaded aperture 2' in the cross-conductor j. Said screw-cap is provided with a notch n for receiving a screw-driver, or may be adapted for a spanner wrench or other suitable tool for screwing the cap tightly down into position to force the parts together and thus complete the electrical contact. It will be understood that there is an aperture 7' in each of the conductors j at-each point of intersection with the cross-conductors 9. Similarly there is an aperture 9 in each of the cross-conductors g at each point of intersection with the conductors 7'. In conse uence, in operation, when the electrician esires to connect any consumption circuit with an 'meter circuit, all he has to do is to drop a- 1: into positlon at the intersection of the proper crossconductors, and then complete the electrical connection by screwing homea cap n.

Although I do not wish to be considered as restricted to any special type of fuse, it may be of interest to state that standard and wellknown fuses-are now on the market havplc, one fourth of an inch or there about, the

parts when assembled, screw-cap and all,will

project but slightly in front of and to the rear of the outer sm'faees of the conductors 9' and g. The board will thus have a neat a pearance and will be free from objectionab e projectionsj From the above it is clear that when the consumption circuits are connected with the meter circuits and supply mains, there will-be a fuse interposed between the crossconductors 7' and 9 without the providing of any space at the edges of the board, thusgreatly reducing the su erficial area of the complete apparatus an rendering it possible to use the same in many places where a board of greater dimensions. could not be placed.

Although I have shown conductorsj and g mounted upon opposite sides of the board,

it would, of course, be possible to mount them upon the same side, it being necessary merely to keep the plane of the cross-conductors far enough apart for air insulation.

In the form of a paratus shown in Figs.-

1 to 5 inclusive, t e board. or panel a is shown to be drilled at every point of intersection of the cross-conductors. This requires considerable drilling, which:may be obviated by constructing the panel as shown .in Fig. 6, in which an open area a is left in the board somewhat more than co-extensivev with the complete set of points of intersection of the cross-conductors. If it is desired to cheaply construct the a paratus, this area instead of being cut out of a solid slab,"rnay be formed by using a board comprisi'n a set of 'four rectangular sections a, as il ustrated.- With this open construction shown in Fig. 6, the conductors g and will cross in the air, but they also ma be fusibly con-. nected by plugging throug from one to the other in the manner already indicated. In the form of a paratus shown in Fig. 6, all of the terminals are on the front of the board,

the horizontal conductors extending alter-,

nately to the right and left to the terminals i, and the terminals 1 being directly connected tothe conductors c.

,The preferred form of contact cap for use inconnection with the construction shown in Fig. 6 is illustrated .in Fig. 7. In this form the cap 0 has two annular flanges adapted to contact the conductor 9 on opposite surfaces thereof, so that the cap ma 0 self-retaining in position. cap of th s design may be constructed of two interfit ca s of pressed sheet metal secured to et er y brazing or otherwise.

at I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a panel board the combination with the board, of two sets of cross conductors, said sets being in two parallel planes separated from each other for insulation; fuses of a length approximatelfy equal to the distance between said sets .0 cross conductors, a metallic ca fitting into the conductors of one set, an adapted to receive one end of a fuse, and screw caps screwing into the conductors of the other set and adapted to receive the other end of the fuse whereby electrical connection is made from one conductorto the other. 7

2. A panel board having permanent .conductors crossing each other in parallel planes located a slight distance apart; and detachable fuse plugs adapted to connect any two conductors at the point of crossing, the length of the pl being approximately equal to the distance m one conductor to the one crossi it, and said plugs being arranged perpendic arly to the planes of said conductors, and caps fitting over the ends of said pl and making electric contact there with, said caps being adapted to make electric contact with two of said permanent conductors at the point of crossing thereof.

3. In combination, an insulating base or panel; two sets of conductors permanently mounted on said base in separate parallel planes, theconductors of one set running transverse to the conductors of the other set, said conductors being apertured at their points of intersection; a fuse plug extending perpendicularly from one conductor to another one crossing it, a cap fitting in the aperture of one conductor for affording electrical connection between the plug and the conductor; and a screw cap fitting the other end of the lug and screwing into the other conductor or holding the plug in place and establishing electrical connection between it and the conductor.

4. In combination, an insulating base, cross conductors permanently mounted thereon and 1 'ng in separate parallel planes, a cylin rical fuse plug havin metallic ends, and arranged erpendiculary to said base so as to exten from one cross conductor to another, and metallic caps fitting the ends of said plug and making electrical contact with said cross conductors ')r the purpose described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. MCWILLIAMS.

Witnesses: Howann M. Cox, 7 CLARA J. CmusTomL. 

